MCLC: SLC and Beijing connect over pollution

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Betsy Brunner <betsyabrunner at gmail.com>
Subject: SLC and Beijing connect over pollution
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We want to share an important new project that connects Beijing with Salt
Lake City over issues of air pollution called Beijing-SLC Connect. The
website is: http://beijing-slc.web.utah.edu/

Rather than pointing to Beijing as "having it worse," we want to
collaborate on air quality issues. While Beijing gets regular press, Salt
Lake City does not. this is why we want to raise awareness about air
pollution and other environmental issues in Salt Lake City and its impact
for citizens of the area by turning to artists from Beijing--SLC's sister
city in smog. We have invited three environmentally focused artists from
Beijing, China‹Huang Xu, Li Gang, and Dai Dandan. These artists will be
joined by Taiwanese artist, Mei Mei Chang, who lives and works in
Washington, DC, and a renowned photographer, Matthew Niederhauser.

These artists were selected because their work all addresses environmental
issues from multiple and diverse perspectives using different media. Huang
Xu, Li Gang, Dai Dandan, Mei Mei Chang (Taiwan), and Matthew Niederhauser
all see humans and the environment inextricably intertwined, and if one
message unites them, it is that if we want to preserve our resources, we
need to change our behaviors.

Huang approaches these issues primarily through photography while Li Gang
melds photography and video to document how the rapidly changing
environment of Beijing is impacting its residents. Dai's colorful
paintings and Duchampian readymades comment on the impacts of consumerism
while Chang's work addresses the imposition of urban sprawl on the air we
breathe and the environment that surrounds us. Niederhauser uses his large
format photography, photo essays, and video to comment on the expense of
expansion.

The artists bring their experience confronting issues of air pollution in
Beijing, of documenting what is no longer pristine to incite action. While
we, in the West, have been witness to environmental movements motivated by
confrontation with the sublime and wanting to save it, we want to bring
China's angle to SLC so we can meld the two perspectives and generate
change. 

We hope to generate a dialogue between two different cultures sharing
similar experiences and similar struggles to cope with the cost of
industrialism. If you want to participate, please use our "blog" link:
http://beijing-slc.web.utah.edu/?page_id=733

The artists will be in Monday through Friday in their ³Living Gallery²
space where people will be able to talk with them, contribute to existing
projects, and create their own works of art. You can track their progress
on our website: http://beijing-slc.web.utah.edu/. On February 10, the
artists will all participate in a roundtable discussion at the UMFA, led
by Art History professor, Dr. Winston Kyan. The artists¹ visit will
culminate in a collaborative exhibition that will feature the work created
during their three-week residency.

--
Elizabeth (Betsy) Brunner, MA, MFA
PhD Candidate and Graduate Fellow, University of Utah
2013-14 FLAS Fellow